1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for drying apparel. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for drying sports pads and apparel, such as a wetsuit.
2. Description of Related Art
Many contact sports, such as martial arts, boxing, wrestling, hockey, and/or football, involve varying degrees of contact between participants and other surfaces, such as the ground. Accordingly, contact sports often require protective sports pads to be positioned and located on various members of the body to protect the contact sports participant from such contact. Some example sports pads include elbow pads, forearm pads, hand pads, knee pads and the like. While participating in contact sports, participants often perspire while wearing sports pads. Accordingly, when in use, sports pads often become saturated with perspiration, and if used outdoors, dirt and other moisture (e.g. rain, water).
In addition to the sports pads, the apparel worn in many of the contact sports, as well as in other activities such as aquatic sports (e.g. surfing, scuba diving), may also get wet, whether through perspiration or as a result of the nature of the sport.
Oftentimes, it would be desirable to wash and dry the sports pads or apparel prior to the next use, which in many situations could be the very next day. Wetsuits in particular are usually washed or rinsed immediately after use to cleanse them of salt water, which can cause the wetsuit material to lose its flexibility. However, many of these sports pads and apparel cannot be washed and dried using conventional methods and apparatuses, such as a washing machine and dryer. This is because using a washing machine and/or dryer to wash and/or dry such pads and apparel generally causes deterioration of the material. Therefore, the pads and apparel must be washed and dried some other way.
One method of drying sports pads is to place the sports pads on a surface to allow them to air-dry. This method is limited and ineffective, however, because it does not allow the sports pads to stay in an “open” position. That is, by placing the sports pads on a surface, portions of the sports pads typically collapse upon other portions of the sports pads forming a “closed” position, and thereby trapping the moisture in the fabric and padding. This is problematic because, over time, trapping moisture leads to growth of bacteria, and results in strong, unpleasant and generally irremovable odors. This may force the owner to replace the sports pads due to hygiene concerns and/or the embarrassment of the strong unpleasant odors.
Another limitation of simply placing sports pads on a surface to dry is that the sports pads will not dry quickly such that they may still be wet when the owner intends to use them again. This may lead to an unpleasant and possibly distracting experience for the wearer if he is forced to wear the sports pads in this wet condition.
For apparel, a method of drying the apparel, particularly a wetsuit, entails hanging the wetsuit in a shaded area out of the sun, as the sun and ultraviolet rays will accelerate the aging of the wetsuit. Similar to the sports pads, the front and back layers of the wetsuit will generally be in contact with each other, or have a minimal amount of space between the layers, forming a “closed” position. Because of this condition, there is an inadequate amount of space for air to flow throughout the wetsuit in order to allow for quicker and more efficient drying of the wetsuit. This condition is exacerbated by the fact that the wetsuit is dried in the shade. Therefore, like the sports pads, the wetsuit may not be completely dried prior to the next use, thereby resulting in an uncomfortable experience, initially, for the wearer.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for drying sports pads and apparel in an efficient and effective manner.